


may i have this dance?

by laughtales



Series: Sylvain Week 2020 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Dancing, Day 2: Class Change, Fluff, Gen, Sylvain Week 2020, Sylvain is a sweetie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:07:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24500542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laughtales/pseuds/laughtales
Summary: Sylvain asks a couple of princesses to dance at the ball..Petra teaches him a dance from Brigid, Claude joins, and Sylvain ropes Edelgard into their antics.
Relationships: Petra Macneary & Claude von Riegan, Sylvain Jose Gautier & Claude von Riegan, Sylvain Jose Gautier & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Sylvain Jose Gautier & Petra Macneary
Series: Sylvain Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769569
Comments: 8
Kudos: 60





	may i have this dance?

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Sylvain Week 2020!
> 
> _Day 2: Class Change_

He wasn’t surprised that the Professor had decided for him to be their class representative for the White Heron Cup. As an esteemed Faerghus noble, he’d been taught to dance at an early age. The rhythmic steps of formal dance, how to hold and guide a partner, proper invitation etiquette and how to show gratitude at the end. He’s not the only noble that knows how to dance in his house but he’s the only one charming enough to put up a fighting chance. 

He is surprised that the other two houses basically threw the competition by sending Hubert of all people (Sylvain suspects he lost a bet) and Lorenz (who is admittedly good at dancing but very formal and stiff and awkward about it). 

Sylvain takes the crown and wears it like a badge during the ball. The title gets him even more attention from the ladies and he even agrees to a few courtesy dances after he’s finished his rounds with the Blue Lions and the Professor. Some were not as into it as the others (see Felix purposefully trying to stomp on his toes). But then he spies some other friends scattered about the room in very varying levels of enjoyment and decides to use his newly acquired bragging rights for good. 

Petra has just finished dancing with Ferdinand, curtsying and letting him kiss the back of her hand. She looks like she had fun but also like she’s thinking too much and running through the proper steps and etiquette in her head. 

Sylvain sets out to rectify that. 

“Petra, beautiful, may I have this next dance?” Sylvain holds out his hand, proper and gentlemanly. 

She starts but smiles at him and nods, taking his hand and following him to the dance floor. She looks sheepishly nervous. “I apologize if I will be stepping on your toes. I am not being familiar with the dances of Fodlan.” 

Sylvain laughs and smiles brightly. “In that case, Princess, how about you teach me a dance from Brigid instead?” Petra absolutely glows at the prospect before her smile droops.

“It would be not appropriate,” she says regretfully. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Sylvain winks and takes her hand. “We’re supposed to be having fun and relaxing. I’ve had enough of stuffy noble dancing. Teach me how to dance, Petra.” 

Petra positively glows with happiness and pride. Sylvain admires how much she loves her country and its culture. 

And so she does. She shows him the steps and how to position his hands and the music is atrociously wrong for the tribal beats Petra shows him. He gets it wrong several times but Petra corrects him and he manages to learn the motions and steps for a simple dance and she’s radiating with how pleased she is. 

Soon enough, they’re dancing on the floor and getting many stares, most of curiosity but also many of distain but neither of them care. They’re laughing and dancing to the wrong musical beats in their little corner of the dance floor and having way more fun than the rest of them in Sylvain’s opinion. 

He almost makes it through the entire dance without messing up but then Petra smiles gleefully and does a move with fancy steps and Sylvain has no idea how to keep up because she didn’t teach him that part but he recognizes the invitation for a spin and a dip when he sees one.

When he lets her back up, he bows and smiles and she rushes forward to do this endearing thing where she bumps the tips of their noses together. It’s unfairly adorable how happy she is. 

“Thank you, Sylvain. I had much fun.” 

A new voice cuts in before he has a chance to thank her back.

“Is this the non-stuffy dancing corner?” Sylvain turns to see Claude striding up to them with a hand on his hip, charming as ever. 

“Petra was teaching me a dance from Brigid,” Sylvain says. “You wanna learn too?” 

Petra makes a shocked expression but Claude takes it in stride and offers his hand out to her. “I’d be honored.” 

Sylvain steps back to give them space and Petra goes through the dance again with Claude. He doesn’t pick up the dance quite as quickly but Sylvain can tell that the beats are familiar to him. It’s an interesting observation and probably why it’s harder for him to learn, because it’s similar enough to a dance he knows that it’s harder to break muscle memory. Eventually though, they do manage to dance and look like they are having loads of fun out there. 

“That was very kind of you, Sylvain. Thank you.” Sylvain turns to sees none other than the Imperial Princess herself smiling at him. 

“What for?” He tilts his head in intrigue. He doesn’t recall doing anything to warrant Edelgard giving him thanks. 

Edelgard looks to Petra and Claude stumbling their way through a very abridged very of the Brigid dance. “Petra is still shy and unaccustomed to Fodlan traditions. Settings like this even more so. It is nice to see her letting loose and enjoying herself.” 

She looks a bit longingly at them. 

“What about you, Princess?” Sylvain asks. “Do you know any interesting dances to teach me?” 

Edelgard smiles and shakes her head. “I believe the traditional dances of the Kingdom and Empire are the same,” she says regretfully. 

Sylvain grins and offers his hand anyways. “Well then we’re both in luck.” Edelgard stares at his hand. “It looks like the future Duke Riegan knows one and is eager to teach us both.” He tilts his head and her gaze follows to Claude and Petra beckoning them over. 

He bows and gently takes her hand when she lifts it slowly. “May I have this dance, milady? I assure you I am equally clueless about this dance we’re about to learn.” 

Edelgard giggles slightly before composing herself and following him to Claude and Petra. Sylvain feels extremely accomplished for getting her to do even that much.

“I would also greatly appreciate it if you stopped Hubert from killing me in my sleep tonight.” 

“I make no promises, Sylvain, but I will put the request through.” 


End file.
